


The Seas Between Us

by mtwalker



Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: F/M, merperson au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:20:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27391117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mtwalker/pseuds/mtwalker
Summary: Alice finds something at the beach that changes her life.
Relationships: Alice Cullen/Jasper Hale
Comments: 7
Kudos: 12





	The Seas Between Us

Alice loved going to the beach. It always seemed like another world to her, especially the rocky outcroppings where she could stand and watch the waves shift around her. The way the sun sparkled on the top of the water was magical, and it drew the five-year-old in.

Her mom brought her twice a week, a large bag stuffed with towels and snacks on one arm, her free hand holding on to her daughter. The two would lay out their stuff, Alice rushing to rub sunscreen into her arms so she could go explore. Her mom would laugh, telling her not to go too far, and to listen for her call. Alice would nod, already running across the sand towards the rocks. It was a day like this when Alice found real magic in the water. 

She pulled herself up onto a rock, staring out across the water like she did every week. One of her favorite things about this area were the stones that jutted out of the water, making a path leading out into the ocean. In the back of her mind, she knew her mother wouldn't want her walking so far out, the water getting deeper with every step she took. She padded across the stones, humming to herself as she went. 

She slowed to a stop, squinting her eyes. Out there, at the end of her path, was a boy. She was sure of it. The sun shone off his curly blonde hair, turning it into a golden halo.

"Hey!" She called, waving to him. He startled, darting back in the water. Disappointed but determined, Alice charged forward. "No! Don't leave! I just wanna-!" Distracted by her pursuit, she hadn't realized how close to the edge she had gotten. Alice tumbled off the edge, her little legs flailing, and smashed into the cold water. The waves tossed her around, making sure she had no way of telling what was up and what was down. She struggled against the water, desperately hoping that she would break the surface. 

Arms wrapped around her, pulling her up and laying her back on the rocks. She coughed, wiping the wet hair from her face. After finally catching her breath, she turned to thank her mysterious savior, but she was alone.

Her mother wasn't happy about the state of her, but she dried her off and promised not to tell her father. It would be their little secret.

It was two weeks later when she saw him again. He was further away this time, peeking out from behind a buoy. She was careful, making sure not to fall as she made her way to the edge of her little path. Curling her feet beneath her, she called out to him. 

"Hello again!" He stared back, not responding. "Thank you for saving me! It was you, right? Why did you run away?"

He slowly made his way around the buoy and slid into the water, swimming towards her. As he got closer, she noticed that in place of his legs, there was a long, yellow fishtail. Her eyes lit up, thinking about all of the bedtime stories her mother had told her about magical creatures. By the time he resurfaced next to her, she could hardly hold in her excitement.

"Are you a mermaid?!" She asked, a little louder than intended. He sunk into the water, startled, only his eyes peeking back out at her. "Sorry," she stage-whispered, sitting on her hands so she wouldn't fidget. "But are you, though?"

He slowly pulled himself back up out of the water, lifting the tip of his tail so she could see it. Her eyes lit up, taking in the brown spots that made their way across the fin. She grinned back up at him, his small smile matching her own.

They met every week, telling stories of the things they had done and exchanging "treasures" they had found. One time, Jasper (she had found out his name a week later, after finally getting him to talk to her) brought her a handful of sea glass that sparkled in her hands. She, in return, had brought him a handful of dandelions she had grabbed on her way there, the bright yellow reminding her of his scales.

He told her about his family; his father who knew everything about merperson lore, his brothers who liked to race each other around the reefs, his mother who had the most beautiful singing voice, and his sister, whose beauty was only matched by her brain. She, in turn, told him about her own family. She talked about her mother, how kind she was even though she was quiet, and her father, a fierce man who was quick to anger but very prideful. Alice loved his company and looked forward to her time at the beach more and more every week.

Her collection of "treasures" from Jasper had grown, filling a whole line of bottles on her window sill so the light would shine through them. Her father was not pleased, asking over and over why they let her keep these "fantasies" alive.

"She's just a child, Edgar. Surely there's no harm in it."

"I won't have any child of mine talking about made-up nonsense like mermaids and whatnot! It's been three years, that's long enough!"

He stormed in, grabbing the bottles and tucking them under his arm.

"No!" Alice charged him, trying desperately to tear them from his grasp, but her eight-year-old strength was no match. He pulled back his hand, making her flinch.

"Never say â€˜no' to me, girl! Understood?" She nodded silently, unable to tear her eyes away from the sea glass as he stormed out of the room. She collapsed onto her bed, unable to hold back the sobs any longer. She never went back to the beach after that.

She saw him a couple more times after that. Always at a distance, of course, and never acknowledged. Her father liked to take them out for parties on colleagues' yachts, showing them off as if his family were nice jewelry or furniture he could use to impress those around him. Alice never mentioned the curly blonde hair that drew her eyes off into the water, or the fact that she longed to call out to him. He never tried to come closer, and part of her was thankful for that. Thankful that her father had never noticed him or turned his wrath in Jasper's direction. 

It was just her and her younger sister now. Cynthia had been born after Alice's father had forbidden their beach expeditions, and had no knowledge of her older sister's secret friend. Alice felt that it was better this way, saving her younger sister from her father's fury. Their mother had died around the time Alice turned 18, crushing almost all of the remaining hope that she had. Cynthia was the only thing keeping Alice grounded, her little sister's innocence a light in her otherwise dark life.

Alice had gone into her father's study, looking for a tie pin he had asked her to grab. They were headed to yet another yacht party, so he was in one of his rare good moods. She had sworn to have seen it on his desk a few days ago, and was trying to move papers around without disturbing them. A glint beneath one caught her eye, and she carefully moved the sheet to grab the pin. Her mother's name was written just below where the pin sat, drawing her eye. Scrawled above it was the name "Evan" with "$10,000 : Portrait." Was he planning on having a portrait of her mother done? It didn't seem likely that his new wife would be fond of that, since the woman turned up her nose at the mere mention of Lilian Brandon. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she pulled the page out a little further, revealing a date. The exact date of her mother's accident.

"Alice!" She jumped, quickly moving the paper back into place. "You found that pin yet? We'll be late!" She gripped the metal pin tight in her hand, quickly and quietly moving back out of the study.

"Coming!" She couldn't believe it. She must be jumping to conclusions. Her father was many things, but a murderer? No, this had to just be a misunderstanding.

She didn't expect to get her answer so soon. Evan was one of the first men on the boat that Edgar Brandon introduced them to. He claimed to be an architect, his charming grin deflecting most further questions about his job.

"But with an interest in painting, surely?" Alice asked, unable to stop herself. Her father turned to her, surprised as well at the sudden interruption.

"Why do you ask, Miss Brandon?" There was that charming grin again. It did nothing for her.

"I just could have sworn I heard my father mention buying a painting from you." Evan glanced at her father, who rounded on Alice.

"Alice, let's leave this man alone. I need to have a word with you." His grip was tight on her arm, pulling her off to a secluded edge of the ship. "What was that about?" He hissed.

"You killed her."

"What?"

Alice was furious. "I saw your note. A portrait? Really? Any police officer worth his merit would be able to see right through that. I'm going to report you, and then you'll never have any power over us again."

"We'll see about that." He was suddenly calm, sending a shiver down Alice's spine. "You always were more trouble than you were worth." Before she could register what had happened, he pushed her back, slamming her head into the metal railing of the ship. The sound of the music covered up her shout, the rest of the party either too far away to hear her, or too busy to care. Before she could get her bearings, he shoved her over the edge, her body tumbling into the ocean.

She spun in the wake of the boat, her feet kicking uselessly against the water. A heavy exhaustion hung over her like a mist, dragging her limbs down as she sunk into the darkness of the water. She was reminded of all those years ago, when warm limbs wrapped around her and pulled her to safety. Her eyes drifted closed and she succumbed to the cold depths.

She coughed, turning over on a familiar rocky outcropping, her wet dress clinging to her. Those strong arms were still around her, holding her steady while she tried to catch her breath. Finally, she was able to look up at her savior. Bright green eyes met hers, tears silently tracking down his cheeks, but a relieved smile across his face. 

"J-Jasper?" She choked out, her voice hoarse. He wrapped his strong arms around her, holding her against him.

"I wasn't fast enough," He whispered, his shoulders shaking. "You were just laying there and I... I couldn't do anything." She pulled back a little to give him a questioning look. "My father, Carlisle, told me how to save you. But I had to... well..." He gestured to himself. For the first time, she noticed his tail. Or, rather the absence of one. 

"But... your family?" She asked, looking over his shoulder at the sea.

"I couldn't lose you again. And I know they're still out there. I haven't lost them, Alice." He cupped her face gently in his hands. "But I couldn't lose you." He kissed her softly, holding her like she was some fragile thing. An energy ran through her, fueled by his touch, and she pulled him closer. The waves crashed around them, and Alice felt a warmth she had never imagined settle in her chest. 


End file.
